It doesn't look that hard

[TyrantDesigner]

You are far too generous.

He appears to be self-taught. So, in that sense... he's further than some, but still only about 35% or 40% as a professional. He'd have to break some bad habits, which is hard to do. Who do you know, using oils adds thinner directly to the paint instead of paletting it ?? Who do you know will put a sign in front of his/her place, let alone make a movie doing such amateurish work ?? In my first year, I might've made stuff like that, but to make movies and act like you're doing some kind of masterpiece is stoopid. Who do you know who uses a sword on their side instead of a flat liner ?? Sure, sometimes we'll cut a corner here or there in a pinch..... but this guy's making a movie on 'How to'. What da fug ?? Why use p!ss poor techniques ?? Other than straight lines, I didn't see him demonstrate jack. Anyone can paint a straight line or a curve. I wonder how many drips he had to catch or wipe up ?? He introduced about five bad things in about 1-1/2 minutes of movie. That's pretty good.

Heck.... he can't even afford a pencil sharpener...........
​

+7, even though I know the basics, even I know he's doing some things oddly .. if he works great that way, awesome. I on the other hand would love to know how to work a brush the right way, so an actual instructional not some 'look how awesome I am' video would be well worth it's money even for me to watch once a week while I'm working in my studio in the back ground. Seriously, if someone made the video, I would probably be one of the first to buy it especially if they talk about types of brushes for different situations, paints and the consisitancy they should be (not just ... 'eh eyeball it to this right here') and how to accurately do stroke work.

though, I own a pencil sharpener and almost never use it ... razor blades cut better.

 

[Billct2]

Who do you know, using oils adds thinner directly to the paint instead of paletting it ??

Me. I worked for a guy that showed me how to speed up my work by using paper cups, mixing the paint in them and using the in side of the cup as my palette. Works great when you have a lot of lettering to knock out, and I knew several others who used the same technique. Of course a index card cup and pallette was still nice for small work.
I was also taught the hand over hand technique and seldom used a mahl stick. Then again I also used a lot of fine line tape if it speeded up the job.

 

[SignManiac]

The first time I watched a true professional lettering artist, I was blown away. His technique was impeccable. He was the first sign guy who inspired me to learn to letter. I think his name was Ernie Burroghs from somewhere up the island. Long Island that is. He was in such high demand that people waited months for him to show up. Which is exactly why my business took off in the first place.

He was very generous with his knowledge and gave me good advice when I started. I'd see quite a few hack Willy the Wino type paint slingers in the day, but Ernie was the real deal. Probably only a handful of the great ones left. They're all slowly dying off.

 

[neato]

They're all slowly dying off.

That's so true. However, it does seem like there is new life being breathed into traditional sign making. More and more are becoming interested in saving the craft.

http://traditionalsignmaker.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-The-Signpainters/301386089446?sk=wall

http://creativesignmakers.proboards.com/index.cgi?

 

[visual800]

back in late 80s to mid 90s all I did was hand paint and airbrush, cut masking for spraying and everything was highlighted! If you brought me a van to do on 3 sides it would take a week, large box truck 1.5 - 2 weeks and oddly enough no one ******* about it.

Transparencies were done at night on the surface and then next day you started painting. All MDO was painted one day to be used the rest of the week. It was fun and we knew no different! One Shot paint was indestructible! Signs would last for decaders MDO would last for decades. no PVC, no printing, no styrene.

I built a custom made paint holder and had all my colors in E-Z POUR squirt bottles. You need a color you mixed it on site. We did semis, dragsters, racecars, freehand no templates unless it was huge. I had 4 paashe airbrushes, air compressor in van and paint. I even kept my brushes all these years I just cant toss them

Having said all this i wouldnt go back to those damn days to save my freakin life BUT I will never forget them....pics below some Im not proud of

 

[Gino]

I understand you're point. But I think the video was to promote his business. To me, his end product looked just fine. If he's getting results and making a living, who's to say he's doing it wrong?

No offense intended Gino. I know those who have learned this craft have the right to complain about bottom feeders. But I think there are people out there doing worse things to the industry than a guy who's trying to actually be artistic.

I for one am glad to see that video. It makes me want to keep practicing.

Sorry. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with unorthodox methods, techniques or styles.... and his was all of those. Anyone showing a movie on the internet for whatever reason is either promoting something.... or showing off. My wife and I have some movies on the internet of our dancing for various functions. We never took the videos or knew they were on the internet. They were taken by observers and posted without our knowledge, but as long as the movies help promote Ballroom and Latin dancing, we have no problem. However, you don't have closeups in our face or our feet like this guy. The manner in which he makes a living is is business, but if he were on this site and he'd ask for opinions.... I'm sure there are some of us that would tell him straight up.... a sign with that much thinner in it, will never last. A sign with letters malformed like that probably won't sell much.

It's not that he's doing it wrong, but his paint looks like it's thinned down to less than the consistency of snot.... and who do you know that paints with snot ?? Anyway, it's the lousy layout, terrible execution and stoopid attitude like he's some master of the brush that sticks in my craw.

I went to his website and when he does off the brush or his own layouts... he's actually very terrible. When he copies something, he does rather well. This tells me he's probably a doodler and not a letterer. In other words.... he can't see his letters before he paints them. He also can't do a pattern worth a darn, as you can see in his video, so he can put paint on a canvas, but just needs a picture perfect template or pattern. I imagine an overhead projector is his best friend.

In my world, it doesn't really matter much what I say or do, cause most people will go on doing whatever it is they want or feel at ease doing. I'm fine with that... really. Even if it hurts the industry.... like many say... you gotta start somewhere. Well, tough love is really very very tough and Dusty could use some. It would help him tremendously. Would/will he listen ?? I dunno.

Do yourself a favor and check out his website... 'Dustysigns.com' and still tell me he inspires you with his work. Now be careful.... he has some other people doing work on HIS website that have talent, so don't be confused with some of them.

Last thing.... if this video makes you want to practice... then it's worth everything to have that thing there.
​

However, if you read all the posts under that movie.... you can tell no one there is a painter... not a single one.

 

[signgirl]

My father was a hand letter..er...I can remember being about 5 watching him practice on an easel he had sitting in the dining room and using a mall stick. I came into the business right before they started making patterns and hand cutting with frisked and exacto knife .....I was the queen of that but not sure how well I would do now.....I had no desire to hand letter!

 

[Jillbeans]

It is that easy. I can do it all day long.
I'm self-taught so my style is extremely similar, but my Ss are not as wonky.
Love....Jill

 

[Gino]

It is that easy. I can do it all day long.
I'm self-taught so my style is extremely similar, but my Ss are not as wonky.
Love....Jill

BUT.... all of your stuff looks nice, first class and is well executed. Yours will withstand time in the elements. You've been around many many hand letterers and you know the ropes. You have exactly what it takes.

Like I said, there are all kinds of approaches..... it's just that his aren't very good.

​

However, you are right... once you have it... it's easy and is very relaxing and even therapeutic. I do very little hand-painting anymore, but when I do.... I just enjoy the heck out of it and even sometimes start to look for things to letter just for the hang of it............. :Big Laugh

 

[Deaton Design]

I have to say, some of the things he does, I did and still do when I paint. Never used a mahlstick, always slid my pinky all over the place. I also paletted my brush inside my cup instead of on paper or whatever. I thinned with paint thinner, but only a little to make the paint slide instead of drag. I found a sign I lettered over 15 years ago today. It had been taken down, but took me back. It didnt look very good to me, but I was proud of it then, and still some now.

 

[GAC05]

I think it's an age thing with Gino - the kid doesn't even have grey hair - he can't can't know what he is doing just yet.......

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Mike Paul]

Nothing wrong with adding a little reducer to you Dixie cup. "Although his did look too thin."

The viscosity of a brand new can is different than a can with 1/3 left and a skin on top. Nothing wrong with loosening it up and then palette with reducer when needed.

You want to get the lettering enamel to the best workable/brushable/consistency possible before starting so it flows out well with the least amount of brush strokes.
After that, pallette as needed with reducer to keep it close.

 

[ddarlak]

it's been a decade since i picked up a brush and longer since i made anything worth while with it.

i guess he wants to dazzle people with old age stuff, i like making money instead....

i was never that good, but i did notice that he wasn't either...

 

[Jillbeans]

Thanks Gino.
I am a turpentine user myself, but when I can get that Chromatic Edge flow enhancer, man I love that stuff. It is true about a new can vs an old one and the amount you have to thin the stuff.
I only use a mahl stick when I want to look like a sign painter, and I never even use my pinkie. I have been yelled at by old sign guys at meets for "holding my brush the wrong bloody way" but it's the way that works for me.
I'm a sit-down painter (or a leaning over) rather than a stand-up one.
All I know is, if I could just paint signs all day I would be content. It is so relaxing. But I also love designing with Corel.

 

[visual800]

I never used a mahlstick always the hands or the pinky. I started thinning my one shots down with dt reducer from ppg towards the end. It just seemed to flow better to me.

I cannot fathom how many miles of tranfer tape I cut with exacto for patterns to use the airbrush but it was a ton. When one shot was on top of their game that stuff would cover and stay glossy for years, There was no better paint out there...then it went to hell.

We even started clearcoating over one shot and that got us by for a while but then it just wouldnt hold a clearcoat without fading out.

One thing I do miss about those days is if you could not draw you were not a sign guy or girl. You had to have some kind of talent not just a damn plotter and program

 

[Billct2]

Yea, it was nice when the biggest debate was about how to keep the paint from skinning over in the can....

 

[Gino]

Let me ask any of you one question.

When you poured some paint into a dixie cup and added some turps or other additives..... when you were finished with the job.... what did you do with the left over paint in the dixie cup ??

 

[signmeup]

I pour thinned paint back into the can.

 

[allamericantrade]

Well as it has been stated, this is a video to promote himself and his business. Thats why there are close ups and if it brought you to visit his website where you can see not only his work but the actual talent of the people that work under or for him then the video did it's job. Maybe he isn't that great I wouldn't know being not trained or taught in the area but one doesn't need to have any talent other than knowledge on how to promote and run a business to own a business. As long as one employs people who can do the job and get it done to a standard that pleases the customer, they will make money. Your probrably right, he didn't look like a professional more like a hobbyist to me. Probrably has a person or multiple people under his employment to do the job. It's like most salesmen I meet really. They know little to nothing about the actual doing of the job or procedure in wich it requires and they want to push a 4 hour drawing into a 5 minute turnaround to please a customer and have a hard time understanding the it don't work that way, but they are great at selling the job. Especially great at selling it to someone who has little to no knowledge of the feild.

 

[SD&F]

That video was ok.....self promotional. I have watched one of my painters and I could never duplicate what he does, I don't care how many videos he could make. He just has steady hand and a real talent for how things should look(regardless of my proof). He follows his rules and if I had time I would really like to learn from him. He never had any formal training, some things just can't be taught. You got it or ya' don't.

 

[signage]

Let me ask any of you one question.

When you poured some paint into a dixie cup and added some turps or other additives..... when you were finished with the job.... what did you do with the left over paint in the dixie cup ??

Sure!

gargle with it the next morning :Big Laugh